1 - 20 of 39 Works by journalofimprobablethings
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Lucretia stops dead in the doorway when she sees it. The letters are six feet high, charcoal black; the edges of the "P" are still smoldering. For a moment she is completely empty. She can't form a single thought, she can't breathe, she's fairly certain her heart stops beating.
And when her brain restarts, all she can think is: no one here knows Lup's name.
Lup has been erased, as thoroughly as Brian or Bain or any of the other fallen Bureau employees--more so, because she’s been erased by Fisher’s child, too. No one here should know Lup's name.
So how can it be here?
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When Lucretia finds Lup's name burned into the wall of the Bureau of Balance, it doesn't take her long to connect the dots. And once she knows where Lup is, she can't just leave her there. She has to find a way to get her out.
AU where Lucretia frees Lup early, and they team up to try to fix their mistakes, reunite their family, and save the world in the process.
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Barry can feel himself beginning to lose control, lose track of the edges of himself. He’s been on the brink of this a few times, over the years, and has always been able to pull himself back. But now, he’s not sure if he can. What’s more, he’s not sure if he wants to. If Lup is truly gone, then why should he keep going, why shouldn’t he let himself just dissolve into nothing, what is the point—
But then
Then a face surfaces in his mind, and he realizes that the face is not Lup’s.
It’s Taako’s.
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Barry finds Lup's body at Wave Echo Cave and has to try to hold himself together at the prospect that she may be truly gone. Luckily, Lup is not the only person Barry loves.
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The story of a moment by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
03 Sep 2025
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Balance is full of so many stories, and not all of them take years to tell. So many of them are contained in just a moment.
(collection of unconnected TAZ snippets of various moments, slices of time, etc. A lot will be angst because apparently that's what I write. Tags will be updated as needed!)1. How did Magnus get Julia's ring back after Raven's Roost?
2. You should have known something was wrong when they boys returned from Wonderland.
3. The Director always has music playing in her office.
4. Thoughts on the Light of Creation and craveability,
5. The birds take a day off (Stolen Century fluff)
6. A quiet Starblaster moment with Dav & Lucy.
7. Davenport goes to sea. Lucretia says goodbye.
8. Davenport, directly after the redaction. -
following the echo down by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
10 May 2024
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Jon looks up at Tim, whose eyes are fixed on the road, two fingers tapping out a rapid tattoo on the steering wheel. Who, Jon realizes, hasn’t actually looked at him once this whole time.
“This is real,” Jon says. His voice is hoarse with disuse.
Tim’s fingers go still on the wheel. He finally looks over at Jon—just a quick glance, before he returns his gaze to the road.
“Yeah, Jon,” he says. He sounds exhausted. “This is real. Put your seatbelt on.”
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Tim rescues Jon from the Circus. Jon isn't quite sure why.
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For a moment, Martin allows himself to imagine what it would be like—to stay in this house, to build a life here with Jon, to cook and go on walks, get to know the people in the village and turn this temporary refuge into a home.
What would it be like, to belong here, together?
The image makes his chest hurt with a fierce wanting—all the more painful because it's been so long since he allowed himself to want—to feel—anything so keenly.
Martin shakes himself, picks up another mug to wash.
It doesn't do any good to imagine something that's probably impossible.
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Martin comes back early from his walk, and manages to burn Jonah's statement before Jon can finish reading it--at the price of Jon's voice.
Even so, Jon finds the courage to finally tell Martin something important.
UPDATE: Now with bonus Jon POV content in Chapter 2!
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literal sleeping together, china edition by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
24 Aug 2023
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Jon lies still, trying to get his breathing under control, hoping he hasn't made enough noise to wake Tim. The remnants of the dream still cling to him, wisps of fog and the hate in Naomi's eyes hovering at the edges of his mind, and as hard as he tries his breath keeps coming in rough, ragged gasps (loud, too loud)---
"Jon?" Tim's voice comes quietly from across the space between the beds.
Damn.
"I'm fine," he says, trying to ignore the strain in his own voice. "It's fine, Tim, go back to sleep."
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Tim goes with Jon on his trip to China. When Jon wakes with his usual nightmares, Tim is there to help.
Series
- Part 3 of tim & jon's excellent american adventure
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georgie barker is not okay by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
31 Jul 2023
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[CLICK]
(Street noises, the sound of footsteps and heavy breathing, followed by a doorbell. It all sounds a little muffled, like the recorder is tucked in a bag or pocket.
After a moment, the sound of a door opening, and a surprised breath.)
ARCHIVIST
(weakly)
Hey.JON
(voice soft with surprise)
Georgie?--
Archivist!Georgie AU! After Leitner is discovered dead in her office, Georgie goes to an old friend for help.
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Lucretia thought she was ready to see Taako and Magnus and Merle again.
She wasn't ready for Taako to waltz into the Bureau wearing a red robe and carrying a very familiar umbrella.
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will you remember me by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
11 Feb 2023
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Martin,
I know you'll never read this. I know I'm writing to a version of you that no longer exists. It hurts to think it, still. The fact that you're gone. But I'm writing anyway, because I miss you, more than I can put into words.
And because I saw you today, for the first time since I arrived here.
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Martin is intrigued by an attractive new customer who comes into the coffee shop - especially when that customer has a strangely intense reaction to seeing him. -
it's not fair how much i love you by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
06 Jan 2023
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And he holds her close just to keep the world at bay
And when they’re sure no-one can hear them
She’ll turn to him to say, she’ll turn to him and say
"It's not fair, it's not fair how much I love you"
--Jon sings a song for Martin on their wedding day.
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Summary
A collection of snippets, vignettes, and one-shots inspired by TMA, presented in no particular order.
1. Somewhere Else (post MAG 200, a contemplation of possibilities)
2. Basira, alone. (or, I can't stop thinking about Basira in the aftermath of the Unknowing)
3. Peter Lukas is having a marvelous time (or, Peter is a bastard but writing from his perspective sure is fun)
4. somewhere in america (or, Tim is with Jon in America when he discovers his new dependence on statements. He has opinions about it.)
5. Not-Sasha goes to visit the Trophy Room (an AU where the Not-Them reveal goes a little differently)
6. goodbye (before the Unknowing, Tim and Martin say goodbye) -
i barely see you through my tears by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: Babel - R. F. Kuang
19 Oct 2022
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When Robin sees Ramy every part of him stills, his eyes wide and lips parted like he's seen a ghost. It's an expression of such shock and devastation that Ramy's mouth goes dry.
What could have possibly happened, to make Robin look at him like that?
Ramy takes a single, tentative step toward him, and Robin flinches.
"Birdie?"
And at that – just one word, just his name – Robin's expression crumples.
After the fall of Babel, Robin wakes up back at Magpie Lane. Then Ramy knocks on the door.
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A speculation: what if Ramy had been there, at the end? Would it have changed anything?
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why can't the words i need ever come to me by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
14 Aug 2022
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Tim doesn't look up to see who has come in, too far gone to even try to pull himself together for whoever has had the misfortune to stumble in on his grief. He hopes they'll just go away and tactfully never speak of it again; barring that, he hopes they at least don't ask if he's all right, when he is clearly as not all right as it's possible to be in a workplace washroom.
The person in the doorway doesn't leave, and they don't ask any inane questions. Instead, after a brief, painful pause, Jonathan Sims says,
"The tile in here is truly atrocious."
Research-era Jon stumbles in on Tim having a breakdown in the bathroom. He tries to help.
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yet broken, still you breathe by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
16 May 2022
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Jon's not expecting his reaction to "That Old Witch Sleep and the Good Man Grace." He and Martin share a wry, knowing look at the lines about sleep and weariness (Jon has been better at following a healthy sleep schedule lately, he has), but then the tempo picks up and the song goes from quiet and tired to loud and raw and the next set of lyrics hit Jon in the chest like a blow:
You're not a coward 'cause you cower
You're brave because they broke you
Yet broken still you breatheAfter he and Martin arrive Somewhere Else, Jon discovers a band called The Amazing Devil. Some of the lyrics turn out to be...extremely relatable.
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life's but a walking shadow by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
02 May 2022
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Summary
MARTIN
Do you have a favorite speech?ARCHIVIST
Hm?MARTIN
Shakespeare. Everyone's got, like, their favorite speech that they memorized at some point.ARCHIVIST
Oh, well. It's a bit--everyone knows this one, but I've always liked the speech from Macbeth.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow...--
Martin gets Jon to recite some poetry.
(Jonmartin Week Day 5: Poetry) -
Safe with me [Podfic] by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
30 Mar 2022
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One year.
There was a time when he didn't think he'd make it this far.
-----
Martin grieves.A podfic version of "Safe with me" by CirrusGrey.
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somewhere in america by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
23 Feb 2022
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Summary
Tim accompanies Jon on his trip to America, and is there when Jon discovers his new dependence on the statements. He has opinions about it.
Series
- Part 2 of tim & jon's excellent american adventure
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let's treat each other as pillows, not punching bags by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
25 Jan 2022
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Later, while Tim takes his turn in the bathroom, Jon stows his clothes carefully in his suitcase and then sits on the edge of the armchair, gnawing at his thumbnail and staring at the bed.
The thing is, it shouldn't be a big deal.
A small moment in an au where Jon and Tim are friends, Tim accompanies Jon to America, and there is only one bed (platonic!).
Series
- Part 1 of tim & jon's excellent american adventure
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i will bring you ruin by journalofimprobablethings
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
18 Jan 2022
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Jon opens his mind, reaching for he's not quite sure what--the feeling Peter Lukas carries with him maybe, the scent of salt and a bone-deep chill; or else some trace of Martin, of tea and warmth and safety--and Jon begins to panic as he thinks of Martin being swallowed by the Lonely, all his warmth extinguished by that fog--
But before he can spiral too far down that path, he realizes that he not only can feel the traces of the Lonely that Elias talked of, hovering in the air like the last traces of morning mist, he can also feel--can See--something else.
When Jon sees Jonah in the Panopticon, he suddenly Knows all of his plans--how he's been shaping Jon all this time into a tool to end the world.
He also knows what his entering the Lonely to save Martin will mean.
And now he has to make a choice.